A GIRLFRIEND?

I stared at Antonio in stunned silence as his words echoed in my mind. My heart pounded in my chest, and I found myself unable to process what he had just said.

“Say it again,” I moaned, my voice barely more than a whisper, but the words came out as a plea.

Antonio didn’t respond. Instead, he slowly got off his stool, his movements deliberate and almost painful to watch.

Without another word, he turned and headed upstairs, leaving me alone in the kitchen. The sound of his footsteps fading away only added to the emptiness that filled the room.

I exhaled deeply, my emotions a tangled mess. I grabbed the whiskey bottle and took another gulp, hoping it would help numb the confusion and heartache.

* * *

The days following that night were a blur. Two weeks had passed, and the atmosphere between Antonio and me had become unbearably strained.

We hadn’t spoken a word about that night, or to each other at all. The silence was almost louder than any argument could have been.

I tried to push